The present invention relates to a device that recovers, recycles and/or reclaims refrigerant for air conditioning systems, refrigeration systems, heat exchange systems and other similar systems.
One major source of fluorocarbons (including CFC, HCFC, or HFC) being emitted into the atmosphere is medium to high pressure refrigerants (containing fluorocarbons having a saturation vapor pressure at 70.degree. F. at 60-250 psi) such as 12, 22, 500, 502, 134A, MP39, MP66, HP62, HP81, AZ20, and AZ50, which are used in many different types of air conditioning, refrigeration and other systems. Many members in the scientific community have determined that the ozone layer in the earth's atmosphere is being depleted in part by the emission of flourocarbons. Thus, efforts have been made to reduce the amount of flourocarbons being emitted into the atmosphere.
Due to these scientific findings and the political climate, there is an increasing demand for a device that will recover refrigerant without allowing the fluorocarbons to be emitted into the atmosphere, as well as to filter, clean and recycle the refrigerant. Such a device halts the waste of used refrigerant and stops the emission of fluorocarbons into the atmosphere.
There are a number of known devices available. However, it is not known in the art to vaporize the refrigerant first and then remove any oil and other contaminants from the refrigerant in a separate separator. Most of the related systems have filtering capabilities. Those systems having oil separators use the method of capturing the oil in the liquid phase within an oil separator by withdrawing the vapor. In these systems, some of the oil and other contaminants are carried out of the oil separator in the vapor. Many of these systems are not easily transportable to all places where one might use such a system.